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Gas prices fall just a penny per gallon

October 27, 2011 By

A new survey finds just a penny-per-gallon drop in the price of gasoline in Iowa this week. 

The survey checked fuel prices on Tuesday. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Iowa was $3.43 on Tuesday. That is a penny less than it was a week ago. The national price of gasoline fell three-cents per gallon in the past week.

The average price for diesel in Iowa is $3.80, which is six-cents below the national average.

According to information released by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, heating fuel prices held steady in the past week. Propane is selling for an average of $1.91 per gallon. Home heating oil is selling for $3.50 a gallon.  Natural gas prices were up just slightly from last week.

Filed Under: News Tagged With:

State given federal grant to promote “green energy”

October 27, 2011 By

Federal officials are giving the State of Iowa a one-million dollar grant to help promote so-called “green” energy. Governor Branstad says the money will help spur start-ups in the industry.

“Historically Iowa has not been one of the leaders when it comes to start-up businesses,” Branstad says. “But I think this is an example that we’re making significant progress and we really have kind of our act together, now, to be really effective in this.”

Iowa is one of just six award winners chosen by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration.

The money is going to the Ames-based “Iowa Innovation Council” which helps start-up companies. “Let’s say somebody’s got a really great idea,” Branstad says. “This is going to be able to provide some technical expertise and assistance to them to be able to move it from the idea stage, from the research, to the commercial development, where it really creates jobs and going, successful business out of it.”

Some Republicans in congress are questioning federal grants for so-called “green energy” companies, but Branstad says Iowa’s “green” energy sector is creating jobs.

Filed Under: Business, Environment & Conservation, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Michigan poster company asked to cooperate with state investigation

October 27, 2011 By

The Iowa Attorney General’s office is asking a judge to force a Michigan company to cooperate with a consumer fraud investigation. Geoff Greenwood, a spokesman for the A-G’s office, says the company (Mandatory Poster Agency, Inc.) has done business in Iowa under several different names – selling posters that spell out labor laws.

“It’s a private company, but they make it sound like they’re a government entity,” Greenwood said. “We’re asking the company to comply with a consumer fraud investigation we’ve launched. The company has resisted our efforts. We’re asking a judge to force them to comply with our investigation.” The posters the company sells include information about the minimum wage, the Equal Opportunity Employment Act and more.

Greenwood says they are posters the government requires businesses to post, but they’re available for free from through the state labor office. “This company doesn’t tell them that. This company makes it sound like they’re a government entity, they have to have these posters and they’re selling them. That’s how they’re making money,” Greenwood said. The company has placed calls to Iowa businesses, churches, charities and schools.

Greenwood says it’s unclear how many may have purchased posters. “We’re not sure and that’s some of the information we’re looking for,” Greenwood said. “We’re concerned there are businesses across Iowa that may have been deceived into thinking that this is a government entity and they have to have these products the company is trying to sell them.”

The company has done business in Iowa under the names Iowa Labor Law Poster Service, Iowa Food Service Compliance Center and Iowa Healthcare Compliance Center. Greenwood said in some cases, mailed notices from the company appeared to threaten penalties – even jail – for failure to buy the company’s posters. The company has been the subject of law enforcement action in 23 states and by the U.S. government.

Filed Under: Business, Crime & Courts, News

Farmer frustrated with Corps plan for 2012 Missouri River

October 27, 2011 By

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been holding meetings up and down the Missouri River to discuss 2011 flooding problems and its plans for 2012. Percival, Iowa farmer Leo Ettleman, is also a spokesman for a coalition called “Responsible River Management.”

Ettleman describes the meetings as “frustrating,” and says while the Corps is listening, they aren’t planning any changes.

He says the Corps looks at 2008 at a “500-year event” and they have no reason to change their management plans over one such event, so he says they will manage the river in 2012 like they have in the past. Ettleman says any changes to the Corps’ Missouri River operating plan will have to come from Congress.

Ettleman says that means there is no funding in the plan for flood recovery to build the levees back to the 100-year protection that they were. Ettleman lost two-thirds of his 23-hundred row crop acres to the flooding in 2011. He says it has left a tremendous amount of debris and sand deposits on his land.

“We have sand deposits probably, anywhere from two foot to four foot deep, just waves of sand.. scour holes, we have scour holes anywhere from two foot to five foot deep, it’s tremendous,” Ettleman says. Ettleman is concerned about a repeat of the flooding problems in 2012.

He says they are going into spring with a 25-year protection levee, if it gets finished,by spring, and “we’re going to be extremely vulnerable in 2012 and perhaps even beyond, it depends on when the funding comes in.” Ettleman says because the number of people directly affected by the flooding is relatively small, it has been a challenge to make their voices heard.

By Ken Anderson Brownfield Radio Network

Filed Under: Agriculture, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, News

Protesters gather to greet Wisconsin’s GOP governor

October 26, 2011 By

Prosters at Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's visit in West Des Moines.

Over 150 people gathered on a public sidewalk tonight to protest Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s private appearance at a political fundraiser in West Des Moines.

Walker was the keynote speaker at a Heritage Foundation event held in a hotel ballroom. The protesters stood along the sidewalk outside, getting supportive honks from passing motorists. Iowa Federation of Labor president Ken Sager was among the first to arrive, shortly after five.

“Governor Walker needs to understand that we recognize what he’s done to working people and the middle class in Wisconsin and we don’t need that here in Iowa,” Sager said. “We don’t need to destroy jobs. We need to create jobs.”

Sharon Guber, a retired school teacher from Ames, held a hand-written sign criticizing Walker for scaling back collective bargaining rights for cops, fire fighters and teachers.

“We’re losing ground on things that we fought for for 40, 50 years,” she said, “and it’s going to be a different country if we don’t get it turned around.”

Barbara Sorlie of Ankeny, Iowa, grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and her great-grandfather was the first president of the American Federation of Labor in Wisconsin.

“I love Wisconsin. It’s always been known as a progressive state and very good to their workers, until Scott Walker got in and his crew, funded by the Koch brothers, and he’s taken a beautifully progressive state right down the tubes and I hope he’s recalled,” Sorlie said. “I want to stand with the workers.”

Sorlie made a small sign for the sidewalk picket. “It says: ‘Walker, Wanted in Wisconsin for Recall. Go Home!” Sorlie said, laughing.

Mary Caponi of Des Moines held a sign and waved at passing motorists who honked.

“My son is a student in Wisconsin and a resident there and it’s his birthday and he asked me to come, for a birthday present, to protest Governor Walker’s visit,” Caponi said, “so that’s why I’m here.”

Jeremy Richards, an “Occupy Des Moines” protester, expects Walker will be the subject of protests wherever he goes.

“There are so many things that Scott Walker has done to show he does not care about the people,” Richards said. 

Reporters were not allowed to cover Walker’s speech. West Des Moines Police were on site to keep all but paying guests and banquet-goers off the hotel property. Walker’s office released a written statement through the Wisconsin Republican Party, saying Walker was in Iowa to tout the “successes” of his “recently enacted budget reforms.”

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Radio Iowa’s Football Friday Night Playoff Edition scores 10/26/2011

October 26, 2011 By

Class 4A
Ottumwa 7
 W.D.M. Valley 49

Johnston  15
 Urbandale  23
____________________________
Ames  3
WDM Dowling   43

D.M. East  14
D.M. Lincoln  52
__________________________
Southeast Polk 67
Sioux City North  8

C.B. Abraham Lincoln 10
 Marshalltown  55
_____________________________
Sioux City East  24
 Waukee  6

Ankeny  54
Fort Dodge 0

Linn-Mar (Marion) 47
Clinton 0

Cedar Rapids Washington 38
 Davenport Assumption  35
____________________________

 Iowa City High 48
Cedar Rapids Kennedy  26

Muscatine 7
Cedar Falls  41
_____________________________
Waterloo East 29
North Scott  58

Dubuque Wahlert  32
 Iowa City West  66
_____________________________
Cedar Rapids Xavier  31
 Pleasant Valley  33

Davenport Central 14
Bettendorf 38

Class 3A
Spencer 28
Creston  18

Harlan  35
Sioux City Heelan  30
__________________________________

Atlantic 7
Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 17

MOC-Floyd Valley 7
Carroll 10
____________________________

Oelwein 13
Clear Lake 34

Deorah 30
 Boone  17  Final

 ______________________

Ballard (Huxley)  14
West Delaware  37

Waverly-Shell Rock  21
Webster City  35

Williamsburg 15
Maquoketa 50

Western Dubuque  27
Grinnell  52
____________________
Center Point-Urbana 0
Solon 40

Washington  15
Union (LaPorte City)  22
_________________________
Perry  20
Pella  41

Keokuk  33
Norwalk  34 ot
______________________________

Fairfield  21
ADM (Adel)  56

Carlisle  22
Oskaloosa  23

 

Class 2A

Spirit Lake 42
JSPC, Jefferson 0

Sioux Center  0
South Central Calhoun  27
___________________________
Sheldon  21
Carroll Kuemper  27

OA-BCIG  0
Central Lyon/George-Little Rock  40
______________________

Bondurant-Farrar  20
West Marshall, State Center  52

North Polk, Alleman 42
Pella Christian  7
_______________________

C-M-B, Baxter  7
PCM, Monroe  42

Clarinda  12
 Fort Dodge St. Edmond  35

Cascade, Western Dubuque  14
Forest City  21

Clarion-Goldfield  43
North Fayette, West Union  21
__________________________________
Osage  0
Beckerman, Dyersville  27

South Winneshiek, Calmar 12
New Hampton  6
_________________________
Davis County, Bloomfield  9
Iowa City Regina 59

West Liberty  23
Albia  6
_______________________

Louisa-Muscatine  7
Mediapolis 40

Mid-Prairie, Wellman  20
Wilton  42

Class 1A
South O’Brien (Paulina) 28
Lawton-Bronson 14

IKM-Manning 14
West Lyon (Inwood)  42
_______________________________
Prairie Valley (Gowrie) 0
Emmetsburg  47

Sioux Central (Sioux Rapids)  34
Manson-Northwest Webster  55
_______________________________
Tri-Center (Neola)  13
Panorama (Panora)  60

Central Decatur (Leon)  24
Logan-Magnolia  56
_______________________________
Mount Ayr  7
Council Bluffs St. Albert  57

Treynor  7
Des Moines Christian  38

 Eagle Grove 13
Aplington-Parkersburg 51

Dike-New Hartford  21
Gladbrook-Reinbeck  20
___________________________________
Nashua-Plainfield  6
Woodward-Granger  57

Hudson  7
Saint Ansgar 44
__________________________________
North Cedar (Stanwood) 12
Turkey Valley (Jackson Junction)  50

Starmont  7
West Branch  42
_________________________________
Bellevue  14
Alburnett  33

Pekin  7
Wapsie Valley (Fairbank) 41

Class A
LeMars Gehlen 49
Northwood-Kensett 8

Akron-Westfield 31
Algona Garrigan  22
___________________________
West Sioux 6
West Hancock  56

North Iowa (Buffalo Center)  0
Woodbury Central  36
_______________________________
Corning 12
Madrid  62

Earlham  40
AHST (Avoca)  23
______________________________
Martensdale-St. Marys  9
 Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton  29

Bedford  28
Van Meter  27

Mason City Newman 35
Elkader Central 12

North Butler 7
North Tama  24
___________________________
Rockford  6
 Postville  7

Don Bosco (Gilbertville) 15
Grundy Center  12
_______________________________
Lisbon 51
Belle Plaine 0

WACO (Wayland)  14
Lynnville-Sully  54
___________________________

BGM (Brooklyn) 47
Danville 0

Lone Tree 49
Iowa Valley (Marengo) 7

Eight player
Graettinger-Terril  41
 Newell-Fonda  58

Laurens-Marathon  34
West Bend-Mallard  68
__________________________
Kingsley-Pierson  14
 Armstrong-Ringsted  38

Harris-Lake Park  14
Remsen-Union  35
___________________
Sidney 14
Glidden-Ralston  50

Boyer Valley, Dunlap  22
East Mills  65
_____________________
Woodbine  22
Fremont-Mills, Tabor 62

Stanton 60
Ar-We-Va, Westside 13

Midland, Wyoming  24
 Northeast Hamilton, Blairsburg  66

Janesville  50
Kee, Lansing  22
___________________
Riceville  13
Preston  56

West Central, Maynard  18
Clarksville  51
_______________________
Lenox  44
 Melcher-Dallas  26

Twin Cedars, Bussey  14
Murray  70
_______________________
Tri-County, Thornburg  7
Adair-Casey  56

CAM, Anita  78
Moravia  42

 

 

 

Filed Under: Football Friday Night, Sports

Three die in Shelby County accident

October 26, 2011 By

Three people from western Iowa were killed in a crash this morning in Shelby County. The crash between a Cadillac and an SUV happened at 10:20 a.m. about four miles south of Harlan on Highway 59.

A State Patrol report shows two troopers were on traffic stops when the Cadillac, driven by 68-year-old Marcella Schwery of Panama, was traveling south and had gone around the patrol cruisers, which had their emergency lights activated. Her car collided head-on with a northbound SUV driven by 26-year-old Christina Cotant of Avoca.

Both drivers and 71-year-old Robert Schwery, who was a passenger in the car, died at the scene. Marcella Schwery and Christina Cotant were wearing their seatbelts, but Robert Schwery was not. After the impact, the SUV ended up in a ditch while the car spun around and collided with one of the unoccupied State Patrol cruisers, which was parked on the shoulder of the road.

Neither of the troopers, nor those in the vehicle they stopped, were injured.

By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, News
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